Chennai-based standup comedian Aravind SA has released two videos during the nationwide lockdown that has left all of us feeling miserable. While the first one on the pressure of birthdays came out a week ago, the second one on Google CEO Sundar Pichai and the media frenzy around him, released on Friday.
The popular comedian is known for his humour that's rooted in the city of Chennai, and the Sundar Pichai set is typical of what we've come to expect of SA. Talking about how the media is forever trying to force a narrative upon readers and viewers, he lays out (with exaggeration, of course) how the big Google story was covered by different publications. He also manages to slip in a clever potshot at communal stereotyping.
The first one on birthdays is immediately relatable to anyone who's been on Facebook and is irritated by the constant reminders sent by the social media platform.
Both videos, which are about six minutes each, have gained lakhs of views, with several appreciating the comedian for the humour. It is expected that SA will be releasing more videos in the coming weeks. The live show was recorded at The Spotted Hyena in Chennai.
Aravind SA is among the first standup comedians to emerge from Chennai. His shows like Madrasi Da and I Was Not Ready Da have been big hits with the audience. He typically takes on stereotypes about the south in his comedy. His parody on 'Lungi Dance', which he called 'Chapathi Song' was viral for days on social media. While he has been criticised in the past for being too 'Mylapore-centric', an area in Chennai which has many Tamil brahmins, he seems to be consciously expanding the scope of his comedy in recent times.
The comedian has a special on Amazon Prime and regularly does shows across India and internationally.